camp blog

May 4^th, 2011 by Aaron Gach, Boy Scouts of America, Gerald R. Ford Council

Here are the steps: We hear about a great camp. We do some research and find out if the camp will be a good fit for our child. Our children get excited about all the fun they are going to have.

What happens between the day we decide to send our child to camp and the day they arrive? Hopefully the answer is one simple word… PREPARE!

What do we mean when we say prepare? Well, if you have researched the camp by visiting its website and Facebook, read reviews, talked to parents or peers that have sent their children to that camp, spoken with the camp director/program director/leadership team, and read up on any documents or literature from the camp, you have already begun your preparations in a huge way! The big secret to the absolute BEST camp experience for your child is active preparation by you! If you are sending your child to a great camp the camp leadership will already have helpful resources available to assist you and your child as you prepare. The concept is all about information. The more informed you and your children are about what to expect, the more comfortable your child will be, translating into a better/more fun experience while at camp.

Camps typically present these “preparedness communications” in numerous forms. Flyers, parents books, websites, Facebook, parent meetings (best way!!!), what to bring to camp checklists, menus, daily schedules, program offerings, orientation days, advance sign ups, etc. all represent solid attempts from the camp to transmit useful preparedness communications to your family and camper. The question becomes what do we do with these items? Do we seek them all out, ask questions if we are unclear, and then utilize them to create a plan with our children before they ever leave for camp, or do we file them away to never be seen again?

We recommend a family meeting with your camper to go over what the schedule at camp will be, what to expect for a menu, what programs they will participate in, personal and camp safety, where they will be staying, who is in charge and so on. If a family member or close friend is not attending camp with your camper, can they? Perhaps your child can recruit his best friend to come to camp with them - this is another way to help your child be more comfortable in camp. Whatever the result, time discussing camp and expectations will assist your camper in being ready for camp. In this way your camper will feel prepared and knowledgeable on what to expect, so that when they arrive at camp there is a much smaller learning curve, and they can get down to the business of having the best experience ever!

 

See you at camp!

 

About the author…

Eagle Scout Aaron Gach is the Council Program Director for the Gerald R. Ford Council of the Boy Scouts of America, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan which annually serves over 20,000 young people here in west Michigan with the support of over 7,000 adult volunteers. He began his outdoor adventure as a Cub Scout at his Council’s resident summer camp. He now enjoys camping, mountaineering, climbing, hunting, water sports and more in the great outdoors! He joined his camp staff in 2000 and later served as Camp Director. Currently Aaron supervises camping operations for the four summer camps of the Gerald R. Ford Council, and the property’s year round maintenance and operations team. Gerber Scout Reservation, home to three camps, serves over 5000 Scouts and leaders each summer, and thousands more in the non-summer months. Visit www.bsagrfc.org for more info.

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April 6^th, 2011 by Rebecca Brinkley, GVSU Autism Education Center

Kids and Camps

The American Camp Association estimates that over 10 million children attend one of the nation’s 12,000 camps each year. Research supports positive outcomes of camp such as adventure and exploration, friendships with peers and adults, reduced summer learning loss, connectedness with nature, positive risk-taking, increased physical activity, opportunities for play and imagination, safety, skill building, engagement and leadership opportunities. Feedback from campers and their parents suggest that children develop social skills that help them make new friends, grow more independent, show more leadership qualities, become more adventurous and willing to try new things.

Children with ASD deserve to have, and can benefit greatly from, the positive experiences camp provides. With a little help, they can. Studies on the theory of inclusion support the notion that including children with ASD in typical settings allows them to learn from their typical peers and gain acceptance. Although incorporating children with disabilities into typical community-based camps is a growing trend, those with developmental disabilities such as ASD are often excluded from the camp experience due to a lack of staff training and adequate systems and support to meet their needs. Studies show that including children with ASD into settings where they can learn and interact with their typical peers is quite beneficial, and including children with ASD in a typical camp setting teaches their typical peers at camp to become more accepting of those with differences.

 

What is ASD?

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) (autism disorder, atypical autism, childhood disintegrative disorder, Asperger's disorder, Rett’s Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) are present from birth or very early in development and affect essential human behaviors such as verbal and non-verbal communication, social interaction, imagination and consequently, the establishment of relationships with others. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of children diagnosed with Autism over the past several decades and it is estimated that 1% or more of all children have a disorder on the spectrum.

 

Why Now?

Now, more than ever, there is a need for summer recreational programming in Michigan for individuals on the Autism Spectrum. Schools across the state are facing crippling funding cuts and recreational programs are often the first to go. Children with ASD need the social and educational benefits of a summer camp experience to continue to learn and grow during the summer months. In a recent study conducted by the Statewide Autism Resources & Training program (START), 57% of families with children who have ASD (in the area including Grand Rapids and Kent County) reported they needed more access to peer supported social opportunities. Nearly 50% of these families also reported they needed more access to recreation and non-school summer programs. Statewide, families reported more access to recreation and non-school summer programs as two of the top three services and programs they needed more access to.

 

Thankfully, camp season is almost upon us and meets many of these reported needs! Here at the Autism Education Center of Grand Valley State University, we hear from many families who are looking for camp opportunities for their children with ASD. In response, we can have compiled a list of camps in Michigan that may be well-suited for individuals (kids, teens, and adults) with ASD. We do not endorse any of the camps listed and suggest that parents contact each camp with specific questions about special needs, requirements, and arrangements on a case-by-case basis.

 

The list of camps can be found on our website.

For more questions about Autism Spectrum Disorders or the START program, please visit our website at http://www.gvsu.edu/autismcenter/, give us a call at (616) 331-6480, or email us at autismed@gvsu.edu.

For information specifically about summer camps for individuals with ASD, please contact Rebecca Brinkley at brinkler@mail.gvsu.edu.

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March 28^th, 2011 by Molly Murray, Grand Rapids Community Foundation

We have recently made some exciting additions to the website that we hope will help you find the right camp this summer:

•  You can now find information on the John Ball Zoo Summer Discovery Program which offers both day and overnight programs to children age 3 to those entering 9th grade in Fall 2011.
• Under the Day Camp option on the left sidebar, we have added a link to a more complete list of day camps in the area. You will see the first listing here is a Spring Break day camp through the UICA scheduled for next week.

Summer vacation will be here before you know it - be sure to take advantage of all the summer camp opportunities in West Michigan!

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March 14^th, 2011 by Molly Murray, Grand Rapids Community Foundation

This Saturday, March 19, Grand Rapids Family Magazine is hosting a Camp & Summer Adventure Expo at Breton Village Mall from 10 a.m. until 3p.m.

The expo will be a great opportunity to visit a wide variety of camp booths where you can gather information and talk with directors and representatives from camps all over West Michigan! As Doug suggested in our last post, it is important to take the time to interview different camps when deciding which is the best fit for you; the camp expo will give you the chance to get all of your questions answered by each camp (and all at the same place, at the same time).

 

Breton Village Mall

1830 Breton Road Southeast

Grand Rapids, MI 49506

FREE ADMISSION & PARKING

Saturday, March 19, 2011

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

 

Contact Grand Rapids Family Magazine at 616.459.4545 for more information and check out the event on our Facebook page.

Hope to see you there!

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February 25^th, 2011 by Doug Vanderwell, Camp Roger

A week at camp can be a great experience for a child, but did you know there are about 50 different camps in West Michigan?!  How do you choose the right camp for you and your child?  It can be a bit overwhelming trying to narrow down the options. In this article, I’m going to focus mainly on resident camps, but the same principles apply to choosing a day camp.  Working through this list may help you narrow down the field and eventually choose a camp that is best for you and your child.

1. Narrowing the field (Camp Theme/Type) - Start by narrowing down the type of camp that you are looking for.  Pick several characteristics that are important for you and then look for a camp that provides each of those.  Are you looking for a sports camp, backpacking in the wilderness, religious camp, arts-n-crafts camp, horse camp, dance camp, outdoorsy camp, etc? Would you like to find a large camp (hundreds of campers per week) or a smaller camp (maybe only 40 per week)? Figuring out what type of experiences you want out of a camp will help narrow down your choices.  The following websites are good tools for searching for camps, www.westmisummercamps.org, and www.acacamps.org. Another great way to find a camp is to ask people in your neighborhood or at your church about where they have sent their kids. Personal references from friends and family are a great place to start.  Hopefully you can come up with a short list of camps that are good possibilities.

2. Interviewing the camp – Once you have some names of camps, go to the website or call and request a brochure.  Learn all you can about the camp.  As you look over the website or brochure, jot down questions that you could ask them.  Realize that smaller camps don’t have the staffing and funds to develop expensive websites, but the website should give you a feel for what the organization is like.  Then give each of the camps a call.  Feel free to ask them questions, even if it is something that is on the website.  It’s a good idea to talk with their staff.  The time, attention and patience they show to you on the phone may likely be similar to the time, attention and patience they show your child while at camp. Here’s a list of questions that I might ask:

a. Tell me about your camp.  Describe how you compare to other camps.

b. What activities are available? What choices will my child have?

c. What do you do to make children feel comfortable on the first day?

d. How do you hire your counselors?  What are the important things you are looking for when you hire counselors?  How do you screen your staff to make sure you are   hiring safe ones?

e. What does your camp cost?  Are there any other costs (store fees, program fees, etc.?)  Is financial assistance available?

f. What do you do if my child is homesick?

g. What do you do if my child misbehaves?

h. What contact can I have with my child?  Will I be able to know how they are doing?

i. What do you feel your camp does better than other camps?

j. If I were not to choose your camp, please recommend another camp or two that you would feel comfortable recommending (if the same few names kept coming up, then I would add them to my list…As a camp director, I would not be offended at all if I were asked this question.)

3.  Visiting the camp – I cannot stress this one enough.  Take the top name (or two or three) on your list and make an appointment with the director to take a tour of the camp.  I realize that if you are considering a camp that is a few hours away, this may be hard to do. However, you really want your child’s first camp experience to go well so they continue to go for years. The actual tours will be well worth your time.  Again, the camp’s willingness to take the time to show you around and listen to you is likely going to be similar to how they treat your child.  I would even take my child along on these tours.  Let them ask questions. This gives you an opportunity to see how the camp staff relate to your child and to see how your child reacts to the camp.

4.  Asking for references – If you don’t have a personal reference for a particular camp, don’t hesitate to ask them for the names of a few families who have been there that you may call. They likely won’t have names and phone numbers ready to go, but give them a day or two and see how quickly they get back to you.  Then call the parents and ask them to tell you about their experiences at the camp.  They should rave about it and if they don’t; I’d be nervous about sending my child there. 

 

Hopefully this helps!  If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call at 616-874-7286.

 

Doug Vanderwell

Camp Roger

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